Discrimination due to above average weight and ‘size profiling’ is what Catherine Bouris’ article, published on her personal blog last week, is all about.
Catherine, a 20-year-old university student in Sydney, makes a point on some people being naturally fat, an idea which society finds reluctant to accept in contrast to the ‘naturally skinny’ acknowledged trait.
Recording experience of hers and of counterparts, she brings readers face to face with everyday disturbing incidents, from derogatory comments to even sexual harassment cases, or discriminatory attitudes by professionals and companies.
“Overweight cancer patients are being given the ‘standard’ chemotherapy dose, as in, for someone who is of average size,” she states.
“Then you have airlines charging fat people more for plane fares because ‘a kilo is a kilo’, whether it’s on a person or part of your checked luggage.”
Catherine identifies herself as fat for as long as she can remember. “Most of my immediate family have been or are overweight. I’m often asked by complete strangers how much I eat, what food I eat, which diets I’ve tried, how often I exercise – basically: why the hell are you so fat?”
‘Skinny shaming’, a situation where really thin women are often criticised because of their skinny appearance, is not comparable to the weight stigma overweight or obese people carry, according to Catherine.
Readership of the article reached a peak when republished in the popular news.com.au website. Feedback from readers came back mixed. Some welcomed her thoughts or felt empathy for being subjected to discrimination on the same grounds. Others accused her for showing no understanding towards skinny women, also suffering from society criticising their appearance.
Catherine clarifies she no longer cares about people’s remarks. Over the years, people have offered explanations on her above average weight, such as: excess weight attributed to lack of self control, bad nutrition or not exercising. As she states, after fifteen years of criticisms about her weight, she has learned to avoid toxic environments which lead to low self esteem.
In terms of expression, Catherine got backlash for failing to present the real problem and not just the manifestation of it on overweight people. That being said, Ana, a reader commented: “What bothers me, however, is the article’s failure to consider these problems holistically and intellectually (that is, without the sense of victimisation). The changes we need are not strictly the acceptance of those who are deemed ‘fat’; rather, we need the ability to overlook body shape and type, and to withhold our comments and judgements.”
You can find Catherine Bouris’ article on her personal blog: http://lasso.tumblr.com/